Sauron
"You did not seriously think that a Hobbit could contend with the will of Sauron? There are none who can. Against the Power of Mordor there can be no victory" - Saruman describes Sauron The Dark Lord Sauron is the titular Lord of the Rings and the feared Enemy of the Free Peoples of Middle-earth. A powerful entity of divine origin, Sauron sought to claim lordship of the lands of Middle-earth. Fashioning and gaining faithful servants, the Dark Lord waged war against Free Folk in the Second Age and the latter half of the Third Age. History Much like Gandalf and Saruman, Sauron was one of the angelic beings brought into existence before the world was made. But he was of a higher order than the wizards, and his power over the substances of the earth was immense. By the beginning of the First Age, Sauron entered the employ of the First Dark Lord Morgoth, enticed by the power wielded by the fallen spirit and covetting that power. As the Servant of Morgoth, Sauron waged war against the Elves until his master's defeat. Fearing for his own sake, Sauron "repented" but hid himself in Middle-earth, unwilling to cower before the victors. At the beginning of the Second Age, Sauron returned to his devices and sought to gain the lordship and worship of the Free Peoples of Middle-earth. Claiming the mantle of Dark Lord and establishing the Black Land of Mordor as his realm, Sauron bred hosts of Orcs, Trolls and other evil spawn in preparation for his conquest of the World. The Rings of Power "One Ring to rule them all" ''- Galadriel on Sauron's Ring During the Second age, Sauron perceived that the Elves were troubled. Therefore he came to them in disguise and he taught the Elves how to make rings of power, and he was heavily involved in their creation. However, he was not involved in the three made for the Elves, as Celebrimbor forged those rings in secret. Initially the rings were presented as gifts, as they had great powers which appealed to the free peoples. Three were given to the Elves, seven to the Dwarves and nine were given to mortal Men. But Sauron had deliberately crafted them in such a way that they were magically linked to one another. Therefore Sauron forged a ruling ring in Mount Doom, ensuring that its power was greater than all the others, so that Sauron could control the lesser rings. Even the Three, which were made independently, still fell under the influence of the One as they were made by the same design. Sauron purposed to control the leaders of the free peoples through their rings, allowing him to dominate the rest of Middle-Earth without the use of military force. This control over all the rings gained Sauron the infamous title known to history as the Lord of the Rings. The Last Alliance Once Sauron set the One Ring on his finger, he sprung his trap. The nine kings of men proved weakest, as their lust for power made them susceptible to the overbearing will of Sauron. In time their bodies withered, leaving them as spirits of terror, still enslaved to Sauron. They became the Nazgul, Ringwraiths, the deadliest of Sauron's servants. The Dwarves did not yield to the corruptive influence, as they had a natural resilience and ill endured the dominance of a tyrant. But Sauron's main target, the Elves, slipped his grasp altogether. For when Sauron put the ring on his finger, the Elves were able to see him from afar, and they realised that Sauron would dominate them through their own rings. Therefore they removed their rings before the Dark Lord could enslave them. Sauron was enraged, as the Elves had the greater power. But in any case, the One Ring increased Sauron's immense power over the earth, and he used it in open war The Dark Lord sends his Orcs to raid villages and cities around Mordor. But Middle-Earth was under the watchful eyes of King Elendil and High King Gil-galad, and they decided to make war on him. The War of the Last Alliance lasts several years. The Elves and the Men prove too strong for the orcs, so Sauron himself comes forth to do battle. With the power of the One Ring, Sauron is unstoppable. With a swing of his mace, Sauron kills several Elves and Men at once. When Elendil tries to fight him, Sauron strikes him with the mace. Elendil's demise attracts the attention of his son Isildur. Sauron turns his attention to Isildur, who tries to grab his father's sword. Sauron crushes the blade beneath his foot, shattering it. Believing Isildur is harmless with a broken weapon, Sauron lets his guard down and reaches out to strangle his foe. But Isildur swings the hilt shard and cleaves off Sauron's fingers, one of which includes the One Ring. The Dark Lord roars in pain, and the loss of his ring exposes a fragile weakness. As he had poured so much of his own essence, including part of his soul, into the ring, he had become dependent on it. Therefore its separation leaves him powerless and his body explodes. Sauron's physical form is destroyed. But by virtue of being a divine spirit, he is not vanquished completely, and furthermore the One Ring still tied him to the world. It would take him many years to recover his power again. A watchful peace starts that endures for many years. Return ''"A dark power dwells in there. It is the shadow of an ancient horror" - Radagast speaks of Sauron's return Sometime in the unknown, Sauron returns to the world in the form of a spirit, gaining power and desperately seeking his ring. The Dark Lord sets himself up in the abandoned fortress of Dol Guldur. From there his evil influence spreads decay and disease throughout the forest of Greenwood. Then Sauron sends out messages for orcs to gather in the fortress. He makes allegiance with Azog the defiler, promising him vengeance upon Thorin Oakenshield. After a while, he also resurrects the Nazgul from their tombs in the high fells. With his forces gathering again, Sauron's power grows. The Necromancer of Dol Guldur "There is no light, Wizard, that can fight the darkness" - ''Sauron to Gandalf The rapid decline of the forest attracts the attention of a local inhabitant; Radagast the Brown, one of the Istari. The Brown Wizard is alerted by the animals that the darkness is coming from Dol Guldur. Radagast ventures into the fortress, when he briefly battles the Witch-King of Angmar. Sauron himself sees the wizard from afar, and his ghostly apparition is enough for Radagast to retreat. In light of this intruder, Sauron places a spell of concealment over the fortress, as he is not yet ready to reveal himself. Sauron has already allowed his chief Azog to hunt down Thorin, in order to stop him from reaching Erebor. But after some time Sauron recalls Azog to Dol Guldur as he now needs him to lead the Orc army into war. Azog is disappointed as he hopes to finish his mission first, but the Dark Lord insists that death will come to all the free peoples anyhow. Some time later, Gandalf himself visits the fortress. The Grey Wizard removes the shroud and finds Sauron's immense army hiding within. He tries to escape, but Sauron bars the way out. He casts black mist at Gandalf, who repels it with a bright light. After a prolonged struggle, Sauron overcomes this magical barrier. Then he reveals himself in a fiery inferno which destroys Gandalf's staff. Then he pins Gandalf to a wall as he manifests as a flaming eye. Gandalf recognises him immediately as "Sauron!" Encounter with the Lady of Light ''"You cannot fight the Darkness..." - Sauron to Galadriel After locking Gandalf up in a cage, Sauron immediately sends Azog and the Orc army to attack Erebor. This is part of a plan to overtake the northern lands, as Sauron privately hopes to restore the ancient kingdom of Angmar, the domain of the Witch-King. Meanwhile, Sauron senses that Gandalf bears a ring of power. So he instructs Lombar to remove it from the wizard. But his plans so go astray as the White Council attacks the fortress. Galadriel destroys Lombar and makes to leave with Gandalf. Sauron watches them and calls out to Galadriel. Then he summons the Nazgul to block off the exits. But the nine are beaten back by Elrond and Saruman, which allows Gandalf to escape on Radagast's sled. Angered by this, Sauron himself confronts the council. Emerging as a flaming eye, Sauron declares their time is up and summons the Nazgul to his side once more. However Galadriel enters her own spectral form and banishes the Ringwraiths. Sauron tries to dominate her, but the Elf Queen proves too powerful. She scorns him for being a mere servant of Morgoth and manages to overwhelm his mind. Unable to resist her, Sauron retreats and takes the Nazgul with him. Meanwhile, his orc army is destroyed in the Battle of the Five Armies. Lord of Mordor "You know of what I speak, Gandalf. A great Eye, lidless, wreathed in flame" "The Eye of Sauron" - Saruman and Gandalf As predicted, Sauron returns to Mordor, his original domain. From there he safely escapes the vigil of his foes. Mount Doom erupts at his command and the cloud of ash swiftly blankets the land once more in perpetual darkness. For the next 60 years, Sauron rebuilds his legions within Mordor itself, where none can assail him. He sets about reconstructing Barad-Dur, his mighty fortress of old. Once complete, Sauron takes his place at the pinnacle of the tower to search the lands of Middle-Earth. During this time, he sends out all of his spies and servants to seek out the One Ring. Gaining Saruman's allegiance "Build me an army worthy of Mordor..." ''- Sauron orders Saruman Meanwhile, over some time Sauron uses a seeing stone known as the Palantir to spy on the lands of Middle-Earth. Saruman's use of the Orthanc stone soon becomes known to Sauron, and the Dark Lord attempts to communicate with the wizard. Sauron uses his own Palantir to show his immense army to the wizard, which scares Saruman to the point of despair. Sauron goes further, tempting the wizard with power and conquest, until at last Saruman willingly joins his side. While the Dark Lord is rebuilding his forces, Saruman communicates with him again and declares that Isengard is ready to serve him. Sauron promptly instructs the Wizard to raise an army. Interrogating Gollum "''There is no life in the Void, only death!" ''- Sauron threatens Frodo At some point, Sauron's servants track down and capture Gollum. The wretched creature is brought into Barad-Dur itself and interrogated. Sauron puts Gollum to cruel torture, until at last Gollum reveals that the One Ring is in the "Shire" and in the possession of "Baggins". With this knowledge, Sauron orders the Ringwraiths to hunt down the ring bearer. And to further his cause, he willingly releases Gollum, hoping that the creature will seek out the ring. On one occasion Sauron actually glimpses Frodo when the Hobbit puts on the ring and enters the wraith world. Now knowing who has the ring, Sauron coldly threatens him with death, but Frodo removes the ring. The Fellowship His eye continues to search the land. When news is brought back to him that the Ringwraiths have been drowned at Rivendell, he summons their spirits back to Mordor and gives them new steeds; the Fell Beasts. Meanwhile he fixes his gaze upon Rivendell, waiting for the Ring to emerge again. Eventually the Fellowship of the ring is formed and they set out to destroy the ring. This is unknown to Sauron, as he simply believes that one of them with try to use the ring against him. He encounters Frodo again through Galadriel's mirror, where he calls for the ring to touch the water. The ring responds, however Frodo manages to pull away quickly. As Frodo and Sam come closer to Mordor, Sauron begins to sense the ring. Eventually he realises that the ring is in Osgiliath and sends the Witch-King to retrieve it. The Nazgul fails and returns to Mordor, yet Sauron now believes that he must attack Gondor, unaware that Frodo and Same have left Gondor and are crossing into Mordor itself. Saruman's demise and the Palantir ''"I see you" - Sauron torments Pippin Saruman's armies fail to destroy the Rohhirim at Helms Deep, which is a sore blow to Sauron as he was hoping to prevent Rohan from aiding Gondor. While talking with the newly returned Gandalf the White, Saruman is slain Grima Wormtongue and the palantir is removed from Orthanc. When Pippin peers into the seeing stone, Sauron sees him and torments the hobbit, mistaking him for the ring bearer. Still believing that the ring is hidden within Gondor itself, and purposing to destroy the Kingdom of Men, Sauron prepares to attack Gondor. But his encounter with Pippin backfires, as the Hobbit saw a glimpse into the Dark Lord's mind. From Pippin's description of the vision, Gandalf deduces that Sauron will soon attack Minas Tirith and immediately makes plans to thwart the Dark Lord. The Siege Of Minas Tirith By this point Sauron has gathered his full strength. With his powers restored and his armies fully prepared, the Dark Lord sends word to Minas Morgul to make ready for war. Sauron also bequeaths power to the Witch-King of Angmar, giving him a new crown and armour to mark him out as his lieutenant. Minas Morgul sends a signal to the world that they are ready and the host of Mordor marches upon Osgiliath. They overun it easily, opening the road into the heart of Gondor. Under orders from the Dark Lord, the Witch-King sends the Mordor host to attack Minas Tirith. They get as far as destroying the gates of the city before Rohan arrives. Though the Haradrim arrive later on to support the orcs, the entire Mordor army is destroyed by the Army of the Dead. In the midst of the fighting, the Witch-King of Angmar is permanently destroyed by Eowyn, costing Sauron his deadliest servant and rendering the remaining Nazgul weak. Aragorn Though he has suffered a severe setback, Sauron still has a contingency force waiting within Mordor, an army of 10,000 orcs. Sauron is suddenly challenged through the Palantir by another user. When the Dark Lord gazes upon the intruder, he is enraged to see that it is Aragorn, the heir of Elendil. He is even more alarmed to see the blade which cut the ring from his fingers. Sauron promptly offers Aragorn a vision of Arwen on her deathbed, to which Aragorn recoils in horror. Nevertheless, Sauron believes that Aragorn has taken up the One Ring and intends to wield it against him. Therefore he prepares his troops for battle. Battle of the Morannon "Aragorn... Elessar!" ''- Sauron calls out to Aragorn At some point the Dark Lord receives a messenger from Cirith Ungol. It is Shagrat, bearing Frodo's Mithril vest. Sauron now knows that a halfling has entered his domain, but he still does not guess what Frodo's purpose in Mordor is other than to spy. Therefore he sends the Mouth of Sauron to meet the Captains of the West when they arrive at the Black Gates. Sauron also begins to survey the land, hoping to seek out the spies who have now entered his realm. Sure enough he eventually spots Frodo and Sam as they struggle through Mordor, and the two Hobbits are stricken down by his gaze. But oddly Sauron does not percieve that Frodo is carrying the ring. Under Sauron's instruction, the Mouth falsely claims that Frodo is either dead or worse. But Aragorn decapitates him in disgust. This alerts Sauron and he turns his gaze away from the hobbits to watch the battle unfold. Sauron gazes out and locks eyes with Aragorn from afar. He calls out to the ranger, sending Aragorn into a trance. However Aragorn overcomes the spell and charges headlong into the Orcs. The Nazgul are sent to aid the Orcs, but they are attacked by the Giant Eagles, summoned by Gandalf. Final Defeat Then, to Sauron's horror, he suddenly senses the ring within his own land when Frodo puts it on. Turning his gaze, Sauron sees that Frodo is in Mount Doom, the location where his ring can be destroyed. The Dark Lord realises that the whole set up with Aragorn is a trap and hastily commands the Nazgul to abandon the battle and fly to Mount Doom. But it is too late, as the scuffle between Frodo and Gollum results in the latter falling into the lava with the One Ring. The ring subsequently melts and Sauron's fiery spirit blazes uncontrollably. With his power broken, Sauron's spirit withers and the tower of Barad-Dur begins to collapse. Then at last Sauron's spirit implodes with a mighty explosive force that shakes the lands of Mordor. The convulsions in the earth opens up great chasms, swallowing the orc army and the Black Gates. With the ring gone, Sauron is left as a withered spirit that is unable to ever take shape in the world again. Appearances * ''The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey ''(As the Necromancer) * ''The Hobbit: The Desolation Smaug * The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies * The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring * The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers * The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King Weapons * Mace - A powerful Black Mace that Sauron uses in his physical form. It can blast back and kill several opponents at once. * One Ring - the one ring enhances his great power over the earth. It also gives him control over the other rings, allowing him to possess anyone who wears the lesser rings, such as the Nazgul. Powers and abilities "You did not seriously think that a Hobbit could contend with the will of Sauron? There are none who can" - Saruman on Sauron Sauron is incredibly strong, once the most powerful being in all of Middle-Earth. While much of his power was lost when the One Ring was taken from him, Sauron still remained a powerful and dangerous foe throughout the Third Age. Like Saruman he had a command over the substances of the earth, namely fire and rock. But he had darker powers that likely came from his master Morgoth, such as darkness and mind control. He was also skilled at forging, being the only one who knew how to create rings of power. * Power over fire - Sauron raises a wall of flames to craft the One Ring. Sauron also launches flames to destroy Gandalf's staff. The flames can physically break through solid stone. * Power over the earth - Sauron has the power to cause earthquakes. Mount Doom also erupts at his will. Additionally Sauron uses the ash cloud from Mount Doom to blanket the land in darkness. * Darkness - revealed as a black mist, it is strong enough to tear apart stone structures * Kinetic blast - In his physical form, a strike from Sauron's mace sends out a discharge of energy, blasting away scores of Elves and Men. * Immense strength - a single blow from Sauron is enough to kill Elendil. Sauron also stomps on his blade, which shatters into pieces. * Mind control - Sauron excels in dominating other minds. Whether by force or possession, he can enslave someone to his will. A good example include the Ringwraiths. Sauron can also spiritually torment individuals, such as he did with Pippin through the Palantir. Aragorn briefly fell under a trance as the Eye glared at him, although he broke free of it. This power is more concentrated through the rings, which he created as a lens to focus his mind control over other individuals. * Smith craft - Sauron is arguably the greatest craftsman in the land. He forged the One Ring, which was more powerful than all the other rings. Not only did it enhance his own might, but it bound all the other rings to it. Other great constructions include his armour and the mighty tower of Barad-Dur, which could not be destroyed unless the One Ring itself was unmade. He also masterminded the construction of Grond, the mighty battering ram which broke the gates of Minas Tirith * Illusions - Sauron was able to cast a powerful spell of concealment over Dol Guldur. The spell is so great that anyone affected by the spell is rendered invisible to all intruders. * Necromancy - Sauron is able to summon the spirits of the dead. Even though the Nazgul's bodies were slain, Sauron was able to recall their spirits from beyond the grave. * Aura of Fear - In his physical form, Elrond and Isildur were alarmed by his presence. When he spied Frodo from his tower, Frodo collapsed under the glare of the Eye. Whenever Frodo encounters the Eye he is terrified. Pippin was also afraid as he encountered Sauron through the Palantir. Forms * Armour - a heavy set of plate armour. It is embroidered with intaglio and filigree design. The horned helmet has large spikes pointing upwards, signifying his demonic status as Lord of Mordor. * Misty - a shapeless black mist with a weak, scratchy voice * Inky mist - this black mist is only an extension of himself, but he uses it to battle Gandalf * Fireball - A fiery spirit version resembling his armoured form * The Eye - a burning inferno with the Dark Lord's sillouette in the middle, resembling a large eye. Category:The Lord Of The Rings Characters Category:Killed by Gollum Category:Dark lords Category:Ring Bearers Category:The Hobbit Characters Category:Villains